Manchester opens refreshed Ancoats Green
The park was upgraded as part of a £40m public realm programme and reopened this weekend.
The £3.2m Ancoats Green project marks the final chapter of the regeneration of Ancoats and aims to cater for existing residents and those who will occupy a further 1,500 pipeline homes.
Homes England has committed £28.1m to the overall project – including the recently opened Ancoats Mobility Hub, which backs onto the park.
The new-look Ancoats Green includes walking and cycling routes to encourage active travel through the neighbourhood, around 4,500 sq ft of new planting, a 63% net increase in trees, and a 30,000 sq ft wildflower meadow.
In addition, granite paving stones removed from Albert Square as part of the ongoing Our Town Hall project, will be reused at Ancoats Green.
Planit and Civic Engineers led on the design of the project, which sits between the Mobility Hub and the first development from This City, the city council’s housing delivery vehicle, on Rodney Street.
The housing scheme is expected to complete this summer and will offer 128 apartments, 30% of which will be capped at the Manchester Living Rent.
Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re on a mission to invest more in our parks and green spaces.
“Ancoats Green is the latest park in our city centre to be created or refurbished to make sure our residents have access to brilliant green spaces. The Green will be the heart of this community, a place local people can take pride in, spend time with family and friends, and find a respite from the bustle of the city – all in a low traffic, sustainable neighbourhood.”
She added: “Building on the Ancoats success story the next phase of investment will see 1,500 new homes built, which includes the council’s first This City housing development at No. 1 Ancoats Green that will complete in the next few months – helping to increase access to genuinely affordable homes in the city centre.”
Credit: via MCC
I live five minutes from Ancoats Green, I can tell you it’s a lot less green than it used to be. Yes it needed a bit of love, but it certainly didn’t need the money they have spent on it.
By Dave
Great project but why on earth don’t those council new-builds have any balconies fronting into that amazing green space?
By Balcony watch
This really went under the radar for me. Suddenly out of nowhere we have a new park in Manchester, what a nice surprise!
By Andee
£3.2M to do some external works to approx 9,000m2 of green space, much of which will remain grassed as existing?
That’s c.£355/m2 for mainly soft external works, and if you nett the area down, it’s more like £600/m2??
Has this really been assessed as being “value-for-money”?
By Anon
Will this radically improved park, which has been transformed from an unloved and unused piece of green space, satisfy all of those from Ancoats who have complained about the lack of parks in the area? Probably not!
By Anonymous
To answer Andee no it’s not a new park,there was one there before this, unfortunately they have concreted over half of the green space.
By Dave
All the moans and groans in the comments, seem to be coming from those who preferred the area when it was a crack den. Shame, some can’t see through the clouds of poverty.
By Blw
Don’t really understand the hate. They’ve done a good job with it. Nice detailing, lovely meadow under the retained existing mature trees and a good play area. Exciting to see this area developing.
By Anonymous
Everyone lamenting the ‘loss of green space’ ought to remember much of it was out of bounds due to the proliferation of needles and drug paraphernalia, and most areas were effectively used as a litter tray for people walking their dogs. Heaven forfend that we should have a nice, attractive open space where it feels safe and enjoyable to go.
By Anonymous
Green space is Manchester City centre’s biggest issue and is the main reason for negative reviews from clients and tourists.
I know that improvements have been made, but a larger collaborative approach should be applied including mass pedestrianisation of the city centre and relocating the tram tracks underground.
The wider city region is blessed but you’d never know if you were visiting.
By Anonymous
A total waste of public money it will be vandalised with in months
By Michael
We already have 4 kids parks within a quarter of a mile as it is, that arent used!!! Money could have been spent better elsewhere!!! Not been thought through at all!!! It’s called Ancoats Green but not much Green open space. We were promised more and completely ignored as per usual!!!!
This was used mainly as a dog park before, there are so many dogs around it was ideal to use. Now, when 3 dogs are there no more can use the grass!!! Bins are too small, huge amount of wild flowers will be a big litter gatherer. Alot of wasted space in one corner by the car park towards Jersey Street, small stones for no reason. Could have used more grass.
Wouldn’t have needed much at all to make the green space abit more attractive. Rather than spend as much as they have!
By Anonymous
It’s good to see new property development in Manchester, but it’s disappointing that these homes are for rent only and not available to buy.
It feels like Manchester Council is using public funds to expand its own property portfolio rather than supporting homeownership.
Labour pledged to build more homes, but if “This City” are just rentals and only 30% are classed as affordable, are they really delivering on that promise?
By Anonymous